DES brings state-of-the-art technology to Steamfitters' training center

HARMONY, Pa. – North of Cranberry just off Interstate 79 sits the Pittsburgh Steamfitters’ state-of-the-art 75,000 square foot training facility.

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Built in 2016, Dagostino Electronic Services was involved in the project from the start, working with the architect and contractor to make the Steamfitters Local 449’s vision for the center a reality.

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The Steamfitters’ new training facility is located north of Pittsburgh just off Interstate 79.

 

Steamfitters are skilled and highly-trained pipe fitters who install process piping systems in buildings and facilities across multiple industries from shopping malls to hospitals.

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In the 15-county western Pennsylvania area it serves, the Local 449 has 2,700 members and 400 apprentices who use the center for core education and ongoing technical training.

The building includes eight classrooms, labs for welding, pipe fitting and HVAC, classrooms, administrative offices and storage.

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Dale Glavin has been a Steamfitter for nearly four decades and the Local 449’s director of training for 19 years. Training previously took place in three different locations and they knew it was time to consolidate education into one building.

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“It was very overwhelming at the beginning,” Glavin recalled when discussing the process of a design build and selecting a technology integrator.

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The Steamfitters wanted a partner that could design and install every aspect of the center’s technology from the cabling to network infrastructure, wireless, security and phone systems and audio visual.

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“DES was one of those companies that came with the entire package,” Glavin said. “I could see that the team that DES brought to the table really took a lot of pride in making sure they understood our needs and would deliver them.”

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With skilled experts in all areas, DES was chosen for the job and was on site on day one, running cable and building out Steamfitters’ local area and wireless networks.

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A surveillance system with access control was added for monitoring all interior and exterior areas of the building with easy-to-use Genetec software. A Fortinet firewall was put into place to help stop cyberattacks.

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“It was very important to the Steamfitters that we maintained a secure building,” Glavin said. “We’ve had no security issues and the system is working extremely well.”

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DES also installed an Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise phone system as well as multimedia technologies in conference rooms, classrooms and common areas.

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The Steamfitters’ training facility has eight classrooms including a flex classroom with a projector and large screen that can be expanded to accommodate more students.

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All of the classrooms have either a flat screen monitor or an interactive Promethean board, the favorite among students and staff.

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Promethean’s technology allows students to remotely connect their computer, so the entire class can collaborate on a project or troubleshoot a problem.

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“Those boards and those classrooms are requested by not only the staff to use but the students prefer to learn off those Promethean boards,” Glavin said. “It’s been a great product and an enhancement to our delivery system at the training center.”

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It was DES’ ability to deliver on all facets that proved invaluable to Glavin and the Steamfitters.

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During the initial meetings, DES’ technically savvy and experienced team made recommendations that helped the Steamfitters define their needs for the new center.

“DES asked all the great questions to allow us to hone in on [what we needed],” Glavin stated. “They brought all that expertise to one table and that really was a great advantage for us.”

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And if there was ever a question or concern, DES was just a phone call away.

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Glavin concluded, “I would recommend DES to anybody that’s interested in doing audio visual and phone systems and all the products that DES has to offer. They did a fantastic job.”